At the present time, the stirrups are connected to the saddle by a standard buckle of the type normally found on a belt. This type of buckle consists of a U-shaped member through which a strap of leather is threaded. A pin is utilized such that it passes through a selected hole in the leather and rests upon the exposed portion of the U-shaped member. As one may imagine, such a design does not provide the rider the a simple means of adjusting the height of her/his stirrups quickly. She/he must release the pin from its present position, locate a new hole in the strap, and reattach the buckle securely. Following this, the rider has another stirrup to adjust in the same fashion, while the horse continues to misbehave underneath.
Clearly, the present system of adjustment does not allow for the rapid adjustment of the stirrups form the saddle necessary for a mounted rider whether it be in race riding, polo, horse shows, or recreational riding. In each of these sports, there exists a need for a stirrup arrangement that is quickly and easily adjusted to the proper height, or distance from the stirrup to the saddle. In other words, the closer the stirrup is to the saddle, the higher it is. Conversely, the more distant the stirrup is from the saddle, the lower it is.
Particular to the sport of race riding, the advantages of a quick and easily adjustable stirrup are considerable. In race riding, a rider needs to ride with shortened stirrups when the horse is galloping to insure the animal maximum freedom of movement. However, when the horse is expected to walk back to the stables, the rider needs to have the stirrups in a lowered position to have more "leg" around the horse's body thereby insuring a safer ride back to the stable.
If the rider is forced to maintain the high position of stirrups at the end of a gallop, she/he can be completely subject to the whim and will of the horse. The rider can have neither the balance to remain astride the horse, nor the ability to fully control the animal. The horse is suddenly in a position to act very independently to the will of the rider, because of the high position the rider's legs are in.
At this point, the rider and the horse are in a precarious situation. If the rider is thrown from the horse, she/he may suffer injuries related to impact with the ground. Additionally, the rider could risk injury while attempting to control the panicked animal from the ground, not to mention the damage a horse usually does to itself.
Under the present "belt buckel" system, the riders quickly remove their feet out of the stirrups and grip the body of the horse with their legs. At this point, the rider can only hope to remain seated on the horse, as long as the animal behaves, because the rider is at a distinct disadvantage due to loss of leverage. A rider's arms are not sufficiently strong enough to control a determined horse from wheeling, buckling, or lunging. He or she needs to have their feet firmly wedged in the lowered stirrups. To attempt this, without the leverage advantage of having their feet placed firmly in the "lowered stirrups", puts both the rider and the animal at a serious disadvantage.
Thoroughbreds represent the genes of hundreds of years of selective breeding. THe animal being ridden may be a champion racehorse in its own right, worth millions of dollars to the syndicate parent. The syndicate owner naturally wants to insure the animal's ultimate protection for useful lifespan as a racehorse, broodmare or stud prospect, show horse or polo pony, etc.
For these reasons, the many advantages to the horse, horse owner and the rider of a quickly adjustable stirrup buckle become evident. Following a gallop, the rider must immediately lower the stirrups safely. The problem has always been time. The quickly adjustable stirrup of the present invention is specifically designed to ensure the rider and horse the safest route possible from galloping to the stable by allowing the rider the control necessary in the shortest amount of time.